This is what Happily ever after looks like
by GrandmaBeth
Summary: Harry and Ginny had their first high profile jobs, now they are settled in to the life at Hogwarts. What is life like for them and their children?
1. Once there was a love

AN - In my version of J.K. Rowling's world, Al and James followed in their mum's footsteps and played Quidditch professionally. After their professional careers, James bought the Chudley Cannons and Al became a magical barrister, working for the Ministry of Magic, and taking occasional private cases, presenting befor the Wizengot and helping to shape new laws.

Al fell in love with Scotland while in Hogwarts and when a goodly sized plot of land on the lake, near both Hogwarts and Hogsmede became available he bought it and began developing a Potter family compound.

James and his two girls, he is a widower, live near Chudley and have a weekend cottage. Lily, her husband and twins live at Grimald place so she can be near St. Mungo's where they are spearheading the reforms in pediatric medicine. They also have a weekend cottage. His da, Harry retired from the auror department and began teaching defense at Hogwarts, his mum teaches flying and alternates with Al and Rose officiating the Hogwarts Quidditch games. (Rose had a glorious career with Ginny's old team the Holyhead harpies, along with cousin Dom Weasley, and now is the gm of the Cannons)

Harry and Ginny have married professor quarters at Hogwarts and a cute little cottage in the family compound, that looks out over the first place Harry felt was his true home. When not "on call" at the castle they can often be found at their cottage.

End note.

Al grinned, the weather was unusually mild for fall in Scotland and his mum was taking advantage of the break. He could see her, shoes off, feet tucked up under her, hair blowing in the wind.

He could not see what she was bent over but considering her column was due today, he was certain it was an article about the games this weekend. Soon Edward, his mum's white owl, would be on the way to the Quidditch Weekly's offices.

He pulled an extra cup from the cupboard, filled it with tea, fixed as his mum liked it and headed her way. Just as Al reached the bench a large white owl circled lazily out of the sky and landed on his mum shoulder. Ginny Weasley Potter was still a small fit woman and the massive owl made her look tiny. Ginny scratched under the birds beak and tied her article o the big birds leg. "Off you go Edward! Trevor is expecting this." Al handed his mum the steaming mug of tea and they both watched as the beautiful bird took off over the lake. It was a magnificent sight as the birds feathers sparkled in the bright sunlight. "So mum just here for the afternoon? Or can you and da join Marie and I for dinner?"

Ginny grinned at the thought of dinner with her son and beautiful daughter-in-law, who was 7 months pregnant with her and Harry's 11th grandchild. Teddy and Vic had 3 boys and 3 girls, James had 2 girls, Lily had her twin boys, now Al would be a dad. "I'll check with your da but we don't have overnight duty until this weekend. I bet we can talk him in to staying here tonight." Ginny checked the battered wristwatch she had received from her own mum and dad on her 17th birthday. "He should be between classes right now, let me check with him."

Ginny pulled what looked like a muggle cell phone from her jeans pocket, after poking at the screen Harry Potter's smiling face appeared. He still looked remarkably like the covers of the old prophet's that Grandmum Molly kept in the attic of Love cottage, just the addition of a few laugh lines and a sprinkle of white in his hair. "Hello love, enjoying the beautiful day?"

Al loved the looks his folks still gave each other, he hoped his and Marie's love was this strong when they had been married as long. As soon as his mum had seen his da her face had softened and what could only be described as a glow radiated from her smile. "Al has invited us to dinner tonight want to stay at the cottage? I'll be back for my first years class last period then we could have a nice walk through town, maybe check on mum's houseplants for her, (Andi Tonks and Molly were off on another of their "Widow's weeks" in France), then be back here by say 7, is that ok for you Al?" Both Al and his da nodded.

Leaving his mum and da to finish talking, Al took the now empty mugs back in to his and Marie's house and it's large almost professional kitchen. Quickly he sent his patronus to let Marie know that his folks would be joining them tonight, he knew she would be busy with the last minute Christmas season arraignments for Vela made stores, Aunt Fleur's company and Marie's employer.

Marie, an ex model and superb salesperson had quickly moved up the ranks and was vice president in charge of Western Europe, England, Scotland and Ireland. Soon as the calendar hit November 1st all the displays would change from fall to Christmas.

Al heard the pop of his mum apperating away, knowing she was heading to the school to help the newest bunch of students get more comfortable on their brooms. He checked the larder and decided he needed to pop down to town to see if the local market had some fresh salmon. Before he left he headed to Vic's pride and joy, next to their cottage, she had installed a greenhouse that insured the family had fresh produce all year round. Al was looking for some greens for the salad tonight.

AN - This story has been flitting around the outer edges of my brain for a few days, I am not sure where this is going, I'm just sure that Al, Ginny, Harry and the rest of the Potters want to know what "ever after" is like for them.


	2. Defences, Brooms and shy students

AN - 10 house points for everybody who noticed the silly twilight reference in the first chapter.

Now on to some references. In my version of the HP world, Ottery St Devon, where the Burrow is located in the stories, is actually Ottery St. Mary, a real town in Devon. Likewise Chudley, where the Cannons play is Chudleigh, also in Devon. They are only 20 miles apart and would account for why Ron loves his team so much.

There is an excellent article on where Hogwarts might be located Search for White Hound fan fiction to find the article.

I prefer Kintail myself. So the Potter compound is located there in my version.

I have Victoire and Teddy Lupin's farm located in Cornwall. First the research I have done suggests that area is an ideal place for organic farming and second it is close enough to the coast for Vic to easily visit. I know that where we are raised implants a strong memory on us, at least for me it has. I spent my childhood summers in the Missouri, USA, Ozark hills and I need to return there on a regular basis for the sake of my sanity.

All of this is based on reading research others have done as I have never had the pleasure of visiting England and Scotland. It is offered here just so you know where my mind places the various Potter family.

End note.

Professor Potter's students were attentive but easily distracted this afternoon. He understood why, it was a beautiful afternoon. These 7th years were the cream of the crop, the dedicated few that had plans to use what they learned in defense against the dark arts in their future careers. He had taken them outside to practice protection spells, Charlie had graciously allowed them to use his hut on the grounds and, as he had a free period, was acting as the attacking force, trying to break through their defenses. The class had gone well and Harry dismissed them a bit early and was now setting on the stoop with a cuppa, catching up with his brother-in-law.

"I see your stalls are a bit empty, I take it that means the zoo is preparing for the winter?.

Charlie nodded. "Yeah even with our milder area's micro climate I'd rather see the animals there with the added protection, besides when the days get shorter they get blue just like we humans, company keeps them happier. The students and I will pop over there for lessons."

Freddy Weasley the second had, by far, been Charlie Weasley's best alumni. After playing professional quidditch where he, along with his cousins James and Al Potter, helped the Cannons become a winning team, he finished his studies of magical creetchers, as if you ever truly finish studying in such a field. Then he had returned to Hogsmede and opened the worlds first magical nature park next to Hogwarts. the location was a plus for the school, Charlie's seventh years participated as interns and had an excellent start toward their futures before even leaving the school. Many more types of magical animals were available to the lower years as well. It was a far cry from when Hagrid had struggled to get even a few live examples in for the students.

Neville's years as the herbology professor had changed the face of that program also. Company's, such as George and Angie's, Fleur's and Victorie's farms had partnered with the school and now their greenhouses were among the worlds best. Research breakthroughs happened yearly, magical and mundane medicine and nutrition had benefited greatly.

Now as the head of the school Neville had started upgrading the rest of the curriculum as well. Inter-school cooperation, especially with Beubatton, had increased and their world was catching up with the mundane in it global reality.

It was an exciting time to be in education. Probably why Charlie stayed, even though he could easily move over to research full time at the animal park, and why it had been easy for Neville to convince Harry and Ginny to come work for the school.

The small figures on brooms in the distance were floating toward the ground, Harry knew that meant Ginny would soon be walking by on the path, arms full of brooms, he and Charlie rose to head her off and help get the equipment back in the storage shed at the pitch.

One of Harry's favorite first years, Haddie MacDonald, was chatting excitedly to Ginny as she helped bring the brooms to the shed, (the reason Ginny did not just use magic to return them, it gave her a chance to have one on one time with selected students). Haddie stopped mid sentence when she saw Harry and Charlie heading toward them. She was painfully shy until she got to know you and she had only seen Charlie in the great hall.

Ginny smiled and worked free an arm to place it around the slight girl's shoulders, "Haddie you know Professor Potter, this is my brother Professor Weasley. He has that dog I was telling you about, the wolf hound?" Haddie nodded slightly, head toward the ground. "Big brother are you getting the time to exercise Sammy as much as you would like?"

Charlie tacking half of his sister's bundle of brooms, carefully did not address his reply toward Haddie. Chuckling softly, "Sammy is never happy with how much time she gets to play! I wish I had someone to help me with that. If somebody could come down, say, just after classes and through the ball for her I could get more of the paperwork done and the repairs the animal compound needs befor next spring."

Haddie lifted her head slightly and a gleam was evident in her eyes.

Ginny, giving a slight wink to her brother, "Haddie was telling me she has a wolf hound at home on the farm. Her mum and da raise sheep in the highlands, she is missing the animals badly. Too bad your classes with her year do not start until next year. It's good luck though that she has a roommate that loves animals too, what is her name? Cindy isn't it?"

Haddie nodded.

"Hey Charlie what if Saturday, after the match, I collect Haddie and Cindy and we come down and play with Sammy for a while for you?"

Harry who had taken the bag of tennis balls and various objects Ginny used to get the students comfortable maneuvering on their brooms walked slightly behind and admired how his wife and brother-in-law handled this lonely shy girl toward a happier school experience. He bet that by the end of next week Haddie and Cindy would have new friends in the upper grades who loved animals too.


	3. Hogsmede, gnomes and cottages

Harry and Ginny walked hand-in hand through the gates at Hogwarts. Harry had a satchel slung over his shoulder, papers to grade by the fire tonight. Getting through town took a bit, not because he has the "savior of the world" and she a famous quidditch player, but because they were Professor Potter and Madame Potter, teachers at the school that fueled the town's economy.

Add to that the fact that they lived near the town, her mum and their niece lived in the town, they were well known as just Harry and Ginny, the life he had always wanted.

Roxanne was sitting on the stoop of Weasley's her toddler playing at her feet. She. her husband and their two children lived above the store, so to speak. In fact they lived above two stores, the joke shop and the Vela made store that shred the building with it. They also had a large back garden but the sun was hitting the front of the store, business was slow and she was 8 months pregnant.

As big of a jokester her brother Fred had been everyone assumed he would grow up to take over the family business. His love of animals forestalled that. Her love of business meant she was actually the logical Weasley to take over. She had started at the bottom, working at the Diagon alley store, now she managed this store and spent a lot of time shadowing her mum at headquarters.

Her Aunt and Uncle stopped to visit and love on little Katie, then they were off to her grandmum Weasley's cottage to water her plants and tend her garden.

Harry was busy carefully raking leaves from around his mother-in-law's rose bushes, no magic here, no way he wanted to risk damaging Molly's pride and joy. He and Ginny had already gathered the pie pumpkins that were ready and placed them in the kitchen cooler and now Ginny was inside doing some cleaning spells and watering the house plants. He was outside racing the fading light tidying the garden. Satisfied with his work he headed to the shed to put away the rake, out of the corner of his eye he saw a garden gnome sneaking under the fence and heading toward Molly's pumpkin patch. A stunning spell and a conjured cage later he had the little bugger.

Fredric Fabian Weasley the second had responded personally to his Uncle Harry's message and was currently administering a calming draught to the garden gnome, an ongoing study of the little intruders, initiated by one of Charlie's past 7th years and continued by the magical park, had shown that they actually have some positive impacts on the magical world. They kept many of the more harmful magical and mundane pests at bay and allowed the gardens to thrive, unless there was an overpopulation. They breed like rabbits and often their numbers overwhelmed their environment.

This little guy looked just right, not overfed or underfed, the typical scars from growing up a gnome and no diseases. Fred finished up his exam, injected a slow release birth control agent under the skin on the ugly bottom and tagged him with one of the studies trackers. Because of the study the gnome population of Hogsmede was under control and as the study spread other magical homes were living more in peace with their little neighbors.

Fred stood up, admiring the cage his uncle had conjured, "I'll let this guy out by the edge of town and see if he wanders back here. I'll leave him by the field and see if he is smart enough to snag some dried corn to eat. If not he will have to come through the town orchard to get back here and I know there are some ground falls there that will fill him up. He should leave Granny's pumpkins alone for now at least."

Harry and Ginny took advantage of the flue network and soon were inside their snug cottage. Their house consisted of a two story room in front with large windows that looked out over the lake, in the distance you could see the castle. Every wall space not taken by the windows and the fireplace was covered in bookshelves. Harry and Ginny had become almost as devoted readers as Hermione and over the years had amassed a large collection. The majority of which was now housed on the compound in a purpose built library but their favorites and current reads lived right here at home with them.

The ceiling lowered to single story height as you entered the kitchen, which was divided from the front room by a low wall, hiding the sink. The cooker, cabinets and counters took up the back wall. No windows graced that wall as the house was partially buried in the hill to help with temperature control and to protect it from the winds.

Harry and Ginny's bedroom was to the left as you entered, warm and cozy, decorated in deep crimson and antique gold it's main feature was a large bed, decadently layered in comforters and pillows.

The on suite had a soaking tub for Ginny and a walk in shower for harry with all the shower heads one could imagine, it was a bit like walking through a car wash. Ginny had insisted on two sinks, one lowered to her height. The loo was shared with the powder room for guests. It dwelled in it's own room with a sliding door to the master bath and one to the area holding the guest sink.

Over the master, under the sloping ceiling it shared with the front room, was the loft, the favorite place for visiting grandchildren to curl up with a good book and the sight of some memorable slumber parties. A separate entrance led to the loft from the hill behind. To get to the first floor you had the choice of a fireman's pole or the ladder. Harry usually took the pole, much to the delight of his grandchildren.

There was a skinny sideboard that ran the length of the windows in the front room that acted as both Ginny and Harry's desks, although how they got any work done with that view was anyone's guess.

This tiny happy cottage was a far cry from how the magical world at large imagined the Potter's to live. If asked, most of the magical population around the Potter's age would guess they lived in a multi-room mansion with house elves at their beck and call. It was well known that the Potters and Weasleys had lots of gold. Harry had inherited a large sum, invested well in various ventures and in WWW. George and Angelina had been generous with stock gifts to his mum and dad, and the siblings. Bill had advised all his siblings and, if the generations to come used their heads, the family could continue their charity and live comfortably.

Having grown up as they did they saw money as a tool not a goal. So far it was a lesson well learned by the second generation.

AN- I will be away from my computer for about a week. I am sure that the plot bunny will have much to say when I return. Grandma


End file.
